1. Field of the Invention
V agents are a class of anticholinesterase warfare gases. They are in liquid form under all climatic conditions and are toxic in either the liquid, vapor or aerosol form. The present invention is directed to a V agent vaporizer and aerosol generating device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The most common prior art technique for generating a V agent vapor and aerosol is the use of explosive bursters with a liquid V agent. This method has proved to be inefficient. Tests have shown that only 10% of the V agent present is disseminated by this method. Furthermore, the method is also unreliable because in a relatively high percentage of applications, the V agent ignites and combusts with no significant dissemination of the V agent.
High pressure nozzles have also been used in the prior art to produce a V agent aerosol. This method is disadvantageous because high pressures in the range of 3000 to 4000 psi are required to break up the agent into an aerosol. This high pressure requires the use of heavy, high strength vessels to contain the V agent and results in a low V agent to total weight ratio. In addition, this method requires the use of fine nozzles which are subject to clogging and are difficult and expensive to manufacture.
A further disadvantage of both of the above methods is the requirement that personnel using these methods must handle the highly toxic V agent at some stage in the logistic cycle.